Tokyo is the most populated city in the world, with over 38 million people living there. While most of the mega-metropolis is constantly buzzing with activity, there’s still quiet pockets of the city that, when visited at night, seem just like ghost towns. German photographer Robert Götzfried set out to capture these sleepy districts in his aptly titled series, TOKYO SLEEPS TONIGHT.
Götzfried wanted to photograph Japan’s capital away from busy hotspots, so he explored the quiet residential neighborhoods of Minato City—a coastal area in eastern Tokyo. “It’s that part of the city where actual real life people live and hang out—or not,” says the photographer. “Unlike most stories that I have seen about Tokyo before these parts of the city are simply empty at night time. I guess it makes perfect sense—most of the folks have to go to work the next day, just like everywhere else in the world. I found a city that sleeps.”
The off-grid photo series reveals how incredibly quiet this particular part of Tokyo really is at night. With no sign of human life, quiet street corners, empty convenience stores, and neon street signs become the subjects of the photos. Visually, each scene looks silent, but you can almost imagine hearing the quiet hum of the street vending machines, power lines, and changing traffic lights.
How do you imagine Tokyo at night? Find out just how quiet the city can be by checking out Götzfried’s eerie photo series below.
Photographer Robert Götzfried reveals the quiet of Tokyo at night in his series, TOKYO SLEEPS TONIGHT.
The photos were shot in the residential neighborhoods of Minato City.
The eerie location looks just like a ghost town.
